💬 Chatbots and assistants · 🛡️ Parental controls and family safety
PinwheelAsk (formerly PinwheelGPT)
By Pinwheel (Firepit Inc.). Visit PinwheelAsk (formerly PinwheelGPT)
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A kid-version AI chat app from Pinwheel, the maker of kids' phones, though it works on any phone or tablet. A child types questions and gets short, kid-level text answers with no images, videos or web links. The parent sets up the account and can read every chat in a free parent app, which lets them follow up on what the child asked. It was called PinwheelGPT, and the app store listing still uses that name.
Our take: Fits parents who want a child's first chatbot with full visibility; skip if you want image answers, school-grade tutoring, or a named AI model.
| Ages it suits | about 5-13 (App Store: made for ages 9-11) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Account holders must be 18 or older; the parent sets up the child. The service is aimed at children and processes their data under COPPA. (terms) |
| Price | Free, with paid extras. Free up to 20 conversations a month; unlimited is $5.99 a month or $49.99 a year (Oct 2026) |
| Works on | iPhone and iPad, Android, Web |
| Account | A parent's account |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | A chatbot answers children's questions in text, with filters that block adult topics and keep answers simple. |
What's good
- Parents can read every chat
- No images, video or links in answers
- Works on any device, free tier available
- No ads inside the kid app
Watch for
- Chat logs are reviewed by parents, so tell kids it is not private
- Privacy policy does not name the AI model or say if chats train it
- Parent data shared with ad platforms
- Free tier caps at 20 conversations a month
Data and privacy
Collects the queries a child types plus device usage, kept for about 12 months for most child activity. It says children's data is not used for ads, but caregivers' purchase data is shared with Meta, Google and Klaviyo for ad retargeting; it does not say which AI model is used or whether chats train AI. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
The maker's own claims only (no inappropriate answers, parent monitoring). No independent studies found.
In the Big Index
- On the list Top 10 setups for a child who wants an AI to answer their questions
- On the list 8 kid-friendly AI chatbots and exactly how to set each up
- On the list 9 tablet and phone setups for kids in the AI era
- On the list 12 AI tutors for kids, compared (with each one's age rules)
- On the list 11 "kid-safe" AI chatbots and assistants, and what kid-safe really means for each
- On the list 15 best tablets and devices for kids who learn
- PinwheelAsk (formerly PinwheelGPT)
- Pinwheel
- Pinwheel vs Troomi
Alternatives to PinwheelAsk (formerly PinwheelGPT)
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
ChatGPT
OpenAI · ages 13-17 in the teen experience; adults
Most teens will meet it anyway, so link a parent account and turn on Study Mode; families wanting a tutor that never gives answers should look at a purpose-built one.
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
Claude
Anthropic · ages 18+ (adults)
A tool for parents and adult students, not for children; families wanting a teen chatbot need one whose terms allow teens.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Curio plush (Grem, Grok, Gabbo)
Curio Interactive · ages about 3-12
One of the more careful AI plush toys on paper, but it is still an open chatbot for small children; suits parents who will read transcripts, while families who want no AI conversations should skip it.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
DIY.org (ChatDino, game builder)
DIY (AstroSafe family) · ages about 8-18 (the maker says 8 to 18)
Suits kids 8 and up who want to make and share games with a parent watching the portal; skip if you want kids learning to code by hand.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Echo Dot Kids (with Alexa+)
Amazon · ages 3-12
Fine for bedtime stories and quick questions if parents check and delete recordings; skip it if a microphone in the bedroom bothers you.
Desk researchPaid
Explore with Alexa
Amazon · ages young kids with an Amazon Kids profile
Fits families already on Echo and Prime who want voice-only curiosity chats; families wary of AI chat or always-on microphones should skip it.
Where these facts come from
- https://www.pinwheel.com/ask
- https://www.pinwheel.com/termsofservice
- https://www.pinwheel.com/privacypolicy
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pinwheelgpt-kids-ai-chat/id6448295047
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.